Where the Dead Live Read online

  "Well, I suppose they're all right," he grumbled. He took a belt from the woman and dropped sixty baht into her open palm. She smiled and nodded her thanks before moving on to the next tourist.

  Josh and Goose continued their walk down The Khao San Road. They got closer to the guesthouse and Josh found himself crossing his fingers, hoping the travel desk would be closed.

  As they passed one of the VW vans, the lady-boys who adorned it whistled and cooed at the men. Josh smiled, ignoring their advances, but Goose flipped them the bird. The lady-boys showed no signs of being offended and increased their catcalls.

  “They must be kidding,” Goose said. “Who the hell do they think they are? Do I look like a gay-boy?”

  Josh cringed at Goose’s choice of language. He wondered why Goose even bothered to leave London if he wasn't going to accept other people’s cultures.

  Goose was soon distracted by a group of attractive girls wandering past.

  “All right ladies?” he called out as they walked by.

  The girls ignored him. Goose turned, walking backward to leer and whistle. Goose seemed oblivious to the fact he was mimicking the calls of the lady-boys he so despised.

  Josh stared at the ground, embarrassed. People would sum him up and lump him in the same category as this uncouth creature.

  The pair finally reached the guesthouse. The travel desk was still open and manned by the young Thai girl who had told him of the ticket change earlier. She was talking to a blonde couple, pointing out routes on a large map covering the whole of the desktop. She must have heard them come in as she lifted her head. She caught Josh's eye and smiled.

  Damn.

  Goose noticed the eye contact and bustled over to the girl. Josh sank onto one of the plastic chairs lined up against the wall.

  “My mate over there reckons you can get me on a bus to Siem Reap tomorrow,” Goose said, talking loudly over the conversation she was already having.

  The young couple glanced up in surprise and the Thai girl looked back over at Josh. Josh hid his face in one hand, marveling at what incredible bad luck had brought this awful person into his life.

  "I am sorry sir," said the girl. "I am busy at moment, please come back in ten minutes."

  "But it won't take a second."

  "I am sorry sir," she repeated, slow and loud, as though speaking to a small child. "You must to wait." She turned back to her couple and continued where she left off.

  Goose stared at her until he realized she was going to continue to ignore him. He turned away and skulked back to Josh, his demeanor that of a schoolboy who had just been dismissed. Her rebuke delighted Josh, even more so when she lifted her eyes to his and gave him a tiny, secret smile. Goose said nothing as he dropped into a chair beside Josh. He stared at the girl—his face red, lips pressed together—until the couple stood and walked away.

  "Come on then," Goose said, leaping to his feet. "Let’s make sure I can get on that bus tomorrow."

  Josh rolled his eyes at Goose's retreating back, but didn’t follow him to the desk. Goose didn’t even notice. He had already sat down and started talking to the girl about his trip. He spoke in a fast, loud voice, gesturing with his hands. Josh realized she was nodding in return and tried to send her desperate looks. He hoped the fear in his eyes would make her understand what he was trying to say.

  Goose shifted in his seat, the flimsy plastic bending under his weight as he took his wallet from his back pocket. He opened it and handed the girl a huge wad of notes; easily twice what Josh paid. The girl gave Josh another smile.

  Goose had been ripped off, but he was getting the bus.

  Josh put his face in his hands, exhausted. He felt Goose’s presence back beside him, and lowered his hands. Goose waved his ticket in the air, creating a slight breeze in the humid night.

  "Time for a beer I think!" Goose declared.

  Josh put his head back in his hands. Goose thumped him on the shoulder and Josh wearily lifted his head.

  "Come on, mate. You can sleep when you’re dead. Let’s party!"

  "Goose,” he said, shaking his head. “I need some sleep. It's going to be a long day tomorrow."

  Even longer now thanks to you, he thought.

  "Spoil-sport." Goose switched back to sulky boy behavior.

  Josh got to his feet. "I'll see you in the morning," he said, hoping with all his heart that he wouldn’t.

  ~*~

  Like what you’ve read? The Dark Road is available to buy as an eBook or Paperback from Amazon.com.

  Also by Marissa Farrar

  Alone (Book One of the Serenity Series) Only $0.99! – Caught in a violent and abusive relationship, Serenity thinks there is no escape. Upon meeting a dark and intriguing stranger, Sebastian, she is shown the possibility of a different future. Only Sebastian has a secret; he is a vampire.

  As Serenity's life takes a terrifying turn, she finds herself drawn into a world she never knew existed; one of murder, love and immortality. She is forced to confront her own weaknesses to save her own life and that of the vampire she has come to love. But in the end all that matters is; can she find the strength to be 'Alone'?

  Buried (Book Two of the Serenity Series) –*Warning: this blurb contains spoilers if you have not already read 'Alone'*

  Four years after the horrific murder of her husband, Serenity is living a new life and finally putting the terrifying events behind her. Though now a stronger person, her heart craves the vampire who gave her the strength to change her life. Desperate to forget Serenity, Sebastian hides away in the underground tunnels of Goreme, Turkey, and has thrown himself into an existence of darkness and blood. But rumors are abound of something unnatural existing, something with the strength of a vampire but that can walk in the light. And a murderer is on the loose in Angeles Forest, someone who is killing with the ferocity of a beast. The killer is moving closer and closer to the city, searching for something...

  Book 3 in the series, 'Captured' will be available to buy from late March 2012.

  The Body Farm – Doctor Eleanor Armitage is under no illusions that people find her job to be macabre. That she spends her days surrounded by the dead would be understood had she been a funeral director or even a forensic pathologist. But Eleanor studies the life-cycles of insect on decomposing bodies at the Forensic Anthropology Center--an acre of ground where bodies are left in various conditions to decompose for science.

  Working late one night with her colleague Robert Dane, they discover a couple of the bodies in the grounds have been disturbed. When they head out to try to figure out who has been tampering with the bodies, one of the dead begins to move. Trapped in a high-security research center, enclosed by ten feet, razor-wire topped walls, they find themselves surrounded by the living dead. Suddenly Eleanor has to learn if her science is enough to save their lives...

  The Company of the Dead – A teenage girl living with a horrific birthmark down one side of her face discovers the cure may be worse than the affliction in ‘Stained’. A team of men digging the channel tunnel hit a coffin-like box buried deep under the ocean. Will opening it unleash the end of mankind? ‘The Tunnel’. A drug addict wakes to find herself trapped in a room of her worst nightmare, in ‘The Tortured Room’. And more! Six short stories of horror; ghosts, vampires and demonic dolls. This collection totals approximately 25K in length or 65 pages. Several of these stories have been previously published in the anthologies, ‘Masters of Horror: Damned if you Don’t’; ‘Their Dark Masters: Extreme Vampire Horror’; ‘Demonic Dolls: Satan’s Toybox’.

  About the Author

  Marissa Farrar is a multi-published horror and paranormal author. She was born in Devon, England, loves to travel and has lived in both Australia and Spain. She now resides in Devon with her husband, two children, a crazy Spanish rescue dog and four hens. She has a degree in Zoology, but her true love has always been writing.

  Her dark take on a vampire romance, Alone, was first published in 2009 and has now been re-launch
ed by Red Hot Publishing. The second book in the series, Buried, is now available to buy. The third in the series, Captured, will be published early 2012.

  Her short stories have been accepted for a number of anthologies including, Their Dark Masters, Red Skies Press, Masters of Horror: Damned If You Don’t, Triskaideka Books; and 2013: The Aftermath, Pill Hill Press.

  If you want to know more about Marissa, then please visit her website at www.marissa-farrar.blogspot.com. You can also find her at her facebook page, www.facebook.com/marissa.farrar.author or follow her on twitter @marissafarrar.

  She loves to hear from readers and can be emailed at [email protected].